Popular participation in governance- The district assembly factor (feature)

Page 26, March 15, 2008
Article: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA’s decentralisation process was initiated prior to the re-introduction of partisan party politics in the country in the early 1990s.
In 1988, the PNDC government introduced a major legislative reform, the Local Government Law (PNDC Law 207) which increased the existing 65 districts to 110 throughout the country’s 10 regions, with non-partisan district assembly elections held initially in 1988/89 and subsequently every four years (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006).
In addition to the two-thirds of assembly members elected on an individual, non-party basis, one-third was appointed by the central government, along with a chief executive for each district.
In 2005, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government increased the number of the assemblies to 138 until the creation of new assemblies recently to further increase the number to 170.
The idea to create more districts is to get more people involved in the decision-making process for them to own their own development process.
The stated aim of the 1988 Local Government Law was “to promote popular participation and ownership of the machinery of government by devolving power, competence and resource/means to the district level.”
The 1992 Constitution which marked the transition to multi-party democracy at the national level, endorsed the 1988 reforms. It consolidated the aim of decentralisation within the overall context of a liberal democratic constitution, yet essential democratic elements remained compromised, especially through the retention of presidential appointments and non-partisan local elections.
The 1992 Constitution and the Local Government Act of 1993 gave six broad functions of the district assemblies as follows:
*To give political and administrative guidance, give direction and to supervise all other administrative authorities in the district;
*To exercise deliberative, legislative and executive functions;
*To be responsible for overall development of the district and ensure the preparation of (a) development plans of the district, and (b) the budget of the district related to the approved plans; Effective mobilisation of the resources necessary for overall development of the district;
* Promotion of productive activity and social development;
* To co-ordinate, integrate and harmonise the execution of programmes and projects under approved development plans for the district and other development programmes promoted or carried out by ministries, departments, public corporations and other statutory bodies and non-governmental organisations in the district.
Despite adherence to the rhetoric of decentralisation, the political commitment of national governments to the devolution of power to local authorities is often limited. It is evident that the autonomy of local government is compromised and undermined in a number of ways, indicating that the central government control remains very real.
Recent incidents in some parts of the country where government appointees of certain district assemblies whose appointments were terminated because they opposed the appointments of district chief executives (DCEs) can be cited as examples.
The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) is one way of transferring economic power to the district assemblies, as it enables them to determine their development priorities.
However, after 20 years of vigorous decentralisation, there are still problems that need to be tackled to make the process more effective to achieve its objectives.
The central government still controls some aspects of statutory funding of the district assemblies. Sometimes, before the DACF is transferred, some deductions are made.
The DCEs owe allegiance to the President who appoints them. Instead of becoming accountable to the people, they always look to the central administration so most of their actions are informed by political expediency.
The way forward is to elect DCEs who would be acceptable to the people. If this is done, the DCEs would always campaign openly and present their positions on the development challenges facing the country.
An elected DCE is not likely to face interference from the central government in policy decision-making. A case in point is the exercise embarked upon by some metropolitan assemblies to decongest the cities. The central government interfered with this exercise for political expediency.
In this part of the world, people are divided along political lines and, therefore, in a unitary state, the chances that an elected DCE is likely to undermine the policies of the central government cannot be ruled out.
But a way can be found out of the circumstance since district assemblies are to have development plans that fit into the national agenda, so they cannot undermine the development efforts of the central government.
The country’s development would be enhanced if more power is transferred from the central government to the localities.
It is the hope of this writer that the decentralisation process would be further deepened to ensure that governance is brought to the doorsteps of the people to make them to participate actively in decisions affecting their development.
Some of the new districts and their capitals are Birim South with Akyem Swedru as the capital; Upper Manya-capital, Asesewa; Kwahu East-capital, Abetifi; Shama-capital, Shama; Prestea-Huni Valley-capital, Bogoso; Sefwi Akotombra-capital, Sefwi Akontombra; Gomoa East-capital, Afransi; Awutu Senya-capital, Awutu Breku; Upper Denkyira West-capital, Diaso; Biakoye-capital, Nkonya; Ketu North-capital, Dzodze, and Nkwanta North-capital, Kpasa.
Others include Offinso North-capital, Akomadan; Atwima Kwanwoma-capital, Twedie; Kumawu Afram Plains-capital, Kumawu; Nsuta Kwaman Beposo-capital, Nsuta; Afigya-Kwabre-capital, Kodie; Bosome Freho-capital, Asiwa; Sunyani West-capital, Odumase; Dormaa East-capital, Wamfie; Nkoranza North-capital, Busunya; Cheriponi-capital, Cheriponi; Kpandai-capital, Kpandai; Lambussie Karni-capital, Lambussie, and Kassena Nankana-capital, Paga.